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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The parish of Sainte-Croix de Tours is a former presbytery built in the 12th century, located in the Old Towers. This quadrangular building, adjacent to the first span of the church, consists of a unique hall from the late 11th or early 12th century, connected to the north transept. Its first floor was recast in the 13th century, and an exterior pentagonal turret was added in the 15th century in the angle of the pinion.

In 1562, the cure was mentioned as "Fosse Poterne". The building, marked by architectural Romanesque elements (culots decorated with human heads, stylized leaf capitals), was inscribed as a historical monument on December 19, 1939. A polygonal tower with a stone screw staircase, added in the 15th century, completes its architecture.

Historical sources, such as the bulletins of the Société archéologique de Touraine (1895, 1945), evoke its connection with the Church of St. Croix and the Berthelot family. Some texts suggest that it could be a former side of the church, although its use as a presbytery is the most documented. The cure illustrates medieval architectural evolution, between religious functions and residential adaptations.

The ground floor, accessible by a modern door replacing an old bay, preserves half-colonets with adorned capitals. The first floor, vaulted on revamped novels, bears witness to the successive transformations. The 15th-century turret, integrated with the church's north dropper wall, emphasizes its role in the ecclesial whole.

Today, the cure is protected for its heritage value, with the exception of modern partitions dividing the upper floors. Its address, 4 rue Henri-Royer à Tours, and its Insee code (37261) place it in the department of Indre-et-Loire, in the region Centre-Val de Loire.

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